What is a Charlotte Russe cake? Dessert's surprising history

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A somewhat unknown dessert has been in the news after Whoopi Goldberg claimed a Staten Island bakery initially refused to make her order due to her political beliefs. 

On November 13, her birthday, Goldberg shared Charlotte Russe treats with her co-hosts on "The View," saying that they were one of her mother's favorites when she was a kid.

"She talked about these all the time. They're called Charlotte Russe," she said. "It's a sponge cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top." 

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Goldberg then went on to claim the bakery had initially refused to make her the treats due to her political beliefs, which the bakery has vehemently denied.

But what is a Charlotte Russe, and how are they made? And why are they so special to New York? 

Comedian and "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg said that a bakery in New York City had initially declined her order of Charlotte Russe treats due to her political beliefs.  (Courtesy Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri, Getty Images)

A traditional Charlotte Russe traces its origins to 19th century France, according to "The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook," and is a "cold, set sweet dish" with Bavarian cream, jelly, and "ringed with sponge finger biscuits." 

"It's related to trifle, but while trifle is a very English dish, this is very French, and was invented by Chef Antonin Carême in the early nineteenth century," said "The Downton Abbey Cookbook."

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The cake itself appeared in the show, the book noted.

The Charlotte Russe also made an appearance on Season 6, Episode 7 of "The Great British Baking Show," in which contestants were tasked with creating a Charlotte Russe for the "showstopper" round of the competition.

The traditional Charlotte Russe cake features a ring of ladyfingers on the outside.  (iStock)

While the hosts noted that the dessert "sounds a bit like a film star from the 1980s," it was actually a Victorian-era dessert. 

In New York City, however, the Charlotte Russe has a slightly modified form. Rather than a sliced cake, a "Charlotte Russe" is instead "a Push Pop–style confection encased in a cardboard shell with a movable bottom," says the website City Lore.

City Lore is an organization dedicated to fostering "New York City – and America's – living cultural heritage through education and public programs in service of cultural equity and social justice," said its website. 

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Once a popular treat during the early 20th century, the Charlotte Russe gradually became harder and harder to find, said the same source.

Holtermann's Bakery on Staten Island is presently the only place in New York City where these treats are regularly available, said City Lore. 

Holtermann's Bakery on Staten Island is one of the last remaining places in New York City that sells the cardboard-encased versions (above) of the Charlotte Russe treat.  (SILive.com/Pamela Silvestri)

Unlike the more traditional Charlotte Russe cake, the New York City version eschews the ring of ladyfingers and replaces it with a disc of sponge cake at the bottom, said City Lore. 

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That cake is then topped with jam and "spirals of whipped cream and a nut-dusted Maraschino cherry," said City Lore.

"As you eat it, you push the bottom up with your thumb, permitting access to the pastry’s deeper layers."